Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and the Board of Directors of Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) Join Forces to Support Job Growth for Louisiana Graduates

Baton Rouge, LA. – Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards pledged his commitment to expanding the success of Jobs for Louisiana Graduates (JAG-LA) during the national JAG Board Meeting held in Louisiana.

“The results of JAG-LA prove that it can help young people faced with major challenges become productive members of their families, communities and society,” said Gov. Edwards. “Not only are they taught important life skills, but they are able to be placed in good jobs and in many cases continue to advance their education. Great strides are being made thanks to the hard work of the students and the JAG specialists. I am especially grateful to the businesses and other partners who see the value of this program and are committed to working with me to make it available to as many students as possible. An investment in our children and in programs like JAG will not only help grow their futures but also our state and workforce.”

Under Gov. Edwards’ direction, JAG-LA has grown from 64 to 113 programs and serves approximately 5,000 students. During the national board meeting, JAG-LA was recognized as a well-organized, well-executed, consistently successful state affiliate of the JAG National Organization. Managed by the Louisiana Department of Education, nearly 90 % of JAG-LA graduates enroll in college, with all students learning new job skills to increase their level of employment. The 2015 success rates for Louisiana are as follows:

· Graduation Rate: 94%

· Positive Outcomes Rate (work, college or combination) 88%

· Job Placement Rate: 76% (exceeded the national JAG rate)

· Full-time Jobs Rate: 80%

· Full-time Placement Rate: 93%

· Further Education Rate: 40%

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, chair of the JAG Board of Directors, expressed the Board’s great appreciation for Gov. Edwards’ leadership and the dedication of Louisiana businesses and communities to bring JAG to more deserving students. “In Mississippi, our youth are experiencing overwhelmingly positive outcomes as a result of Jobs for Mississippi Graduates,” said Gov. Bryant. “The results are equally impressive across the country. As chair of this great organization, the board members and I applaud and support Governor Edwards in his efforts to amplify that impact across the State of Louisiana through the JAG-Louisiana program.”

Other members of the JAG Board of Directors in attendance included:

Chris Broadwater, Louisiana State Representative

Leo Denault, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Entergy

The JAG Board of Directors includes eight governors – the most serving on any board in the nation. Board members oversee programs operating in 1,200 locations across 33 states and serving more than 57,000 disadvantaged young people each year. The results include:

· Dramatically increasing graduation rates to 90 percent or above.

· Doublingemployment rate for poor and disadvantaged young people and tripling the number who secure full-time jobs.

· Increasing the rates of both enrollment in and completion of higher education for this same population – with the great majority being first-generation college students.